Right now, the nation is at a fever pitch with football. People are saying they do not want to support the team or the players after the anthem protests on Sunday. President Donald Trump wants you to know that kneeling is not an option when the National Anthem is sung at a sporting event. He’s made a passion project of sorts with consistent tweets about it throughout the week. Green Bay Packers are one of the first teams to play in Week 4, and the players sent out a statement asking for fans to join them in linking arms to show unity. It’s a great message, but sadly, the Packers cannot win this battle.

I read the mentions on their tweet to get the temperature of fans after this was put out. Some really liked it, but most people did not see this a common ground movie. Let’s start with the left side of things. We have people like Jonathan Jones of Sports Illustrated saying the ‘Linking of arms is the thoughts and prayers of anthem protests.’ To me, the arm linking is not a protest, rather, a show of a united front with a team. The left is calling out people who are not kneeling as well as those who are not doing it for the reasons that Colin Kaepernick did last season. They cannot win with the progressives.

Packers are having a hard time to win over the conservatives with this move as well. There are people that will never forget the Week 3 actions and are fueling them into a frenzy online. We also have those mad that the Packers will not have a hand over their heart. Can you fucking believe that? Do you know if you ever made a move to put your hand over your heart at a sporting event? I do not. If that makes me a bad American, so be it. The fact people get caught up in the manusha of an issue, any issue for that matter, is what’s plaguing us from having further discussions on topics like this one.

I’ll be in Lambeau on Thursday night and I will ask to link arms with whoever is next to me. It could be my three people I’m going with the game too or a stranger. At the end of the day, we are all citizens of the United States, and we should bond together when times get tough.

Charlie.